BOSTON – Ideally, the Yankees would prefer not to carry a dozen pitchers. Yet, when Kevin Brown comes off the DL Sunday in Baltimore the Yankees will be forced to harbor that many arms because they don’t have any wiggle room.

“We have no choice,” GM Brian Cashman said yesterday. “We have 12 guaranteed contracts. It’s not necessary to carry 12 and if we had the flexibility we wouldn’t but we don’t.”

That means when Brown is activated reserve infielder Andy Phillips will be sent to Columbus (Triple-A) unless a pitcher goes down before Sunday morning.

Phillips, who opened a lot of eyes with his hitting in spring training, had appeared in just one game going into last night’s action against the Red Sox at Fenway Park and didn’t have a plate appearance.

As for Brown, he will test his balky back in a bullpen session this afternoon at Camden Yards. If all goes right he will make his season debut against the hardhitting Orioles Sunday.

Brown has been on the DL since the end of spring training with a back problem he says was caused by the Legends Field mound at the Yankees’ spring training sight. He removed himself from the final exhibition game against the Tigers in Lakeland and was put on the DL two days later.

Brown, 40, threw in a Fenway Park bullpen Tuesday and didn’t feel any discomfort. Despite his physical problems and age, Brown is being counted on for back-of-the-rotation support in return for the $15 million the Yankees are paying him.

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In the wake of Wednesday night’s 5-2 victory over Curt Schilling, Joe Torre stuck with his new lineup last night. Dropped into the ninth spot for the first time in 10 years, Bernie Williams responded by going 3-for-4 with a homer and double. Alex Rodriguez didn’t take to the move from second to fifth, going hitless in five at-bats and fanning twice.

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Mariano Rivera admitted what you are seeing in April isn’t what you will see later in the season as far as him being sharp.

“How many games have we played, eight?” he said. “The season just started. If this was 150 games and I am like this (six hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings),then I would be struggling.